| |||||||
| Founded | 1998 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ceased operations | 2004[2] | ||||||
| Fleet size | 5 | ||||||
Aerocom was anairline based inChişinău,Moldova. It was suspected to be involved in illegal weapons trade, which ultimately led to the airline being shut down in 2004.
Aerocom was founded in 1998 and operated chartered passenger and cargo services out ofChişinău International Airport.[3]
In 2004 the United KingdomDepartment for International Development was criticised for having hired Aerocom to fly humanitarian aid missions toMorocco following theearthquake there, because in a 2003United Nations report Aerocom was accused of breaking international sanctions by having transporting huge quantities of arms toLiberia in 2002. Subsequently, special permission from theUnited Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority was needed to allow Aerocom's Moldova-registeredIlyushin Il-76 aircraft to land in Britain, including an exemption from noise restrictions.[4]
Also in 2004, theAir Operator's Certificate of Aerocom was revoked, possibly due to connections between the airline and suspected weapons smugglerViktor Bout. Nevertheless, the airline flew 99 tonnes ofsmall arms out of a United States air base atTuzla,Bosnia and Herzegovina later that year, before finally being shut down.[5][6]
The Aerocom fleet consisted of the following aircraft:[3]